Spinal Fusion

I was recommended for fusion of L5-S1 back in 2017. It was for supposed spondylithesis(?). Not a pleasant experience. Took about a month to get back to some sort of normalcy. My original complaint was for lower back pain. The fusion did nothing for the pain. I suppose it's possible that the surgery did solve the out-of-alignment vertebrae. Who knows. It was ultimately listed as "failed back surgery syndrome". Very convenient.

Had cervical 3,4&5 done 20+ years ago.
Pain free now
Had my neck twisted and frozen before surgery.

Totally movable now, used bone from hip now they use cadaver bone. Hip was a sore part of the whole thing.

@heisenberg34 I had a Fusion at L4-S1 April 2023 I would about fall when I bent over ( now I wish I took my chances of falling) the surgery was great at first then I was twisted and a screw come loose 3 weeks later. Not sure if your M/F but I have new pain that radiates to the testicles, I can have a bowel movement stand up and brush my teeth and have to go again. I went thru pelvic therapy to help realign the tailbone which I learned when it’s out of alignment the bowels don’t move. I don’t go anywhere without a cushion to set on and the tailbone is so tender I slept in a recliner for 4 months and now I’m able to get by on an air mattress. You might consider pelvic therapy - definitely no fun for a straight male lol) but I’m at the point who cares if it helps then I’ll try it.

I too had the same diagnosis, spondy at L5-S1 in 2014. A top surgeon at UCSF.
You are correct as it "did the job" to straighten the spine, but nothing for pain. I recall talking to a PA affiliated with him on our way to a tennis tournament in 2016. They did their work, and I moved out of state. Since then, I have seen many ortho's and neurosurgeons, procedures, and fitted with a spinal cord stimulator almost two years ago. That too isn't helping.
All I can do is stay active, and work on PT exercises for now. I am seeing a neurologist at Mayo in Phoenix, and "jumping through the hoops" for insurance, to see what the next step is.

Are we long lost brothers? It's amazing how many people share our story. My SCS did work for about 2+ years but suddenly just stopped working. I tried a trial of Boston Scientific's Wavewriter a while back, but doc couldn't get lead in the sweet spot due to scar tissue from having old one removed. Unfortunately, my condition has been deteriorating over the pasr few months. Just walking is problematic. I hope you can continue being able to be active. I never realized how much I would miss all the things I used to be able to do. Keep the faith!

Thank you for your response. I had no idea as I approach the age of 70, the pain and treatments would be a part of my life. Reflecting on athletes and their stories as they age, their bodies are not holding up as they thought so.
I am fortunate to have good medical care in the Phoenix area, and a patient at Mayo. Their steps to see specialists take time, but thorough.
Was the SCS removed? I asked my surgeon recently, and he didn't reply, of which when communicating with him through the patient portal, his response is immediate. I heard from others, they don't like to remove the SCS.
I know a MRI is in my future, and after one attempt over a year ago, with the machine in a low exposure-mode, I stopped the exam. I found out from the imaging center, there are other MRI processes, including sedation at a hospital, as I will not have it done"the regular way" with the SCS implanted. Please let me know if yours is intact.
I also send the best to you.

Yes, I had the SCS removed back in May. I had the original battery replaced with a NEVRO battery. They had to use an adapter to make the connection. That made it SCS MRI compatible.
At 77 my body is slowly wearing out. Not exactly how I imagined my “Golden Years”.

How difficult was it to either find a surgeon to remove it, or the surgeon who implanted it, to remove it? As mentioned previously, the neurosurgeon has not replied when inquired and asked for the SCS to be removed. How about the lead wires? Were they removed?

The spine and its mysteries seem so capricious! I will be 83 tomorrow and am 2 weeks post-op from an L4-L5 laminectomy, which resolved ALL of my symptoms. Fifteen years ago I was told by an orthopedic surgeon that I needed a spinal fusion for Grade-1 Spondylolistheses at L3-L4 and L4-L5, having experienced recurring episodes of LBP (lower back pain) over the previous 20 years. I refused, and he said, "You'll be back when you're in enough pain!"
That day occurred a year ago, when I experienced sudden acute pain in my entire pelvis, with sensations of hot pokers radiating through my hips and into my buttocks and hamstrings (evolving eventually to include episodes of leg weakness and foot numbness). It should be noted that I had comparatively little LBP with this, which became an important distinction for eventual diagnosis, as I later learned. The most recent (of several, over the years) MRI report described "Central canal" Lumbar Stenosis (another important distinction, from Foraminal stenosis) with "severe compression of the Thecal Sac and Cauda Aquina" in that L4-L5 segment, as well as a spontaneously-occurring fusion of L5-S1 vertebrae.
I was able to continue functioning with copious use of OTC NSAIDS, until I saw an Orthopedist who told me I needed spinal fusion, because injections and even laminectomy would not help at this point. I was spurred into action when he told me that I should go to an ER for emergency surgery if I experienced sudden loss of bladder/bowel control and difficulty walking, i.e., Cauda Aquina Syndrome (CES). Determined to never be dependent on ER spinal surgery (Ewww!), I met with a local neurosurgeon I had previously seen (without benefit) for cervical neuropathy. He recommended interbody (TLIF/PLIF) fusions of L2-L5. (I knew few of these words or acronyms a year ago but am an obsessive researcher by nature!) After much reading and YouTube videos, I sought a second opinion at Mayo Clinic-Phoenix, 6 hours from home, which miraculously accepted my Medicare Advantage plan (one of only 2 MA plans they do accept, I was told).
After sending many recent supporting notes and imaging reports, I met with my assigned Neurosurgery Dept evaluator, Dr. Lyons. He told me that I might "indefinitely" (or not, as I have learned from MC Connect!) benefit from non-invasive treatments like repeated corticosteroid injections, etc. He reassured me that CES was slow to progress and certainly not imminent, and that multi-level fusion did not appear to be presently necessary (Phew!). He opined that I would likely benefit from lumbar decompression without fusion, as X-Rays revealed minimal instability of the 2 spondylolistheses, and that my osteopenia would not be a deterrent without the need for fusion hardware. He stated that Laminectomy was more likely to address buttock/leg pain, but less so for LBP.
He advised that the need for eventual fusion was possible due to future osteoarthritic bone growth, but that my general good health and recent pursuit of core-strenghtening exercise would be of benefit in any case. Considering my advancing age, it seemed to me that future eventualities were insignificant and that avoiding a multilevel fusion was paramount, and I agreed on the spot to proceed with laminectomy surgery.
When I awoke in the recovery room, I knew immediately that the surgery was successful in eliminating all of the symptoms that had plagued me for the past year. I am currently delighted that my current LBP appears to be limited to post-surgical wound pain and (familiar) general muscle soreness and weakness.
I apologize for the length and detail of my reply, but this is my first and likely only comment after lurking and learning on Connect for many months. I recall how difficult it has been to find and piece together those bits of info that have been specific to my own issues. I have tried here to be as informative as possible to those beginning this journey, and to illustrate the immense diversity and individually of presenting issues and complications that must be considered by each traveler. And I confess, I have created my own start-to-finish (for now!) personal Journal, to organize and document my own 'trip' for later recall. Blessings and best wishes to all of you on this path, and my eternal gratitude to the Mayo brothers for creating a truly patient-centered Haven of Healing!

I need help. I had surgery done in Eau Claire, Wisconsin in 2016 was a 10 hr operation on my neck that I crushed my vertebrates. I had 1 through 4 redone. I have lower back pain & goes down my right leg and with a lot of pain. I go to the Rockford Pain Clinic and i been getting shots in my lower back which work for about a week or 2. Now they say they want to burn the nerve to stop it. Will this work. Please help me.?